Self-Esteem and Impression Management

Self-Esteem and Impression Management

Impression Management

Impression management is how you want other people to you in the public eye (Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. & Akert, R.M. (2013). One personal example of impression management was when I was in the United States Marine. My last four years of duty I was a college recruiter, and personally had to train and recruit young college students from ages 21-24 years of age. It was a stressful and overwhelming fours years and my body was always sore from physical training young college students. Moreover, I was mentally overwhelmed because of the high demand of recruitment goals. However, everyday for four years I had a role to play and put on the appearance of being unstoppable. I had a successful tour but I had to practice impression management everyday due to the culture and characteristics of the armed forces (Amos Drory, Nurit Zaidman, 2007).

Impression management is different face to face versus written communication

styles, for example mobile text massaging is quick and to the point, with emoticons or with abbreviations. When communication is face to face I must be articulate, clear and concise when talking with friends, peers, clients and colleagues. Another factor, when communicating face to face you deal with body language and facial expressions that will give off another meaning. It is important to note that impression management is essentially self-projection and may occur whether the person is aware of it or not (Schlenker, 1980). A great example of non-verbal impression management procedures are used in selection processes is the employment/selection of an interview (Yadanifard, R., Suppiah, M., & Behrang Parhizkar, M. M. B., 2013).

Impression management is also critical in my business community. I have my own company and dealing with clients on a daily basics. Everyday I must be on my game, an expert of my craft and trustworthy just to name a few. This can and will effect my business reputation as while as my lively hood. This type of impression management has to do with self-presentation in the business community. Over the years, business ethics of impression management has been strongly debated on whether “we should see it as an effective self-revelation or as cynical manipulation” (Browning, et. al, 2010, p. 5).

Growing up, I used impression management to effort to control or influence my parents’ perceptions. This theory goes to explain that we try to make the perception consistent with our goals. For example, as a young kid I would only shares good things about my friends and girlfriend to my parents, trying to present them in a good light so they wont be judged.

Social Tuning

Social tuning can influence how friends think about each other, this is the process of adopt another person’s attitudes (Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. & Akert, R.M. (2013). Friends have always had a huge influence in my life especially in the military. We influence each other though competition and also career advancement. Also the military practice complex social tuning (Coyne, 2010). In the book The Tuning of Place, Coyne explains the role of repetitive practices reconfigurations. The examples used were “exercise drills, marching in time, cleaning, and regularization times of sleep” (Coyne, 2010, p. 64), this is what the military use in boot camp.

Social tuning is different face to face versus written communication styles, for

example when you are with a small group of family or friends. The intragroup communication can be different with friend and family face to face. For example with friends there can be silent social tuning, while watching sports and things can be ok, whereas silent social tuning with a spouse may feel like there’s tension.

Social tuning is also critical in my business community. I run a personal training and health coaching business and I can personally feel when I adopt a client’s attitude. The energy can get sucked right out of you. I refuse to train or coach anyone with poor attitudes or low energy. I can say I use social tuning in business all the time when marketing to others, in my business I know people gain relief by taking the same action as others. For example, social recommendation on Yelp or Facebook, which informs visitors about other client’s preference or buying history.

Social tuning influence does play a role in my friendship with my military friends compared with my non-military friends. My military friends it’s a brotherhood and more of an attitude of belonging together. Even the jargon is different between the two groups. We share the same horrific stories and can laugh about it. Whereas my non-military the attitudes are around business and family.

Social comparisons

Social comparisons is when we need an accurate self-assessment of our abilities and opinions, we compare ourselves to people who are similar to us (Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. & Akert, R.M., 2013). A personal example of this I would say my peers I went to undergrad with. I check in with Facebook and text time to time to see how they are doing, where they are at in their careers, or did the go and complete grad school. I also do the same with my military peers. According to Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. & Akert, R.M. (2013) this make us feel inferior, and we compare ourselves to those who are less fortunate, it make us feel and look better. Personally I cannot justify my actions for doing this, but it does help me more forward and let me know if I’m on track, a personal gage parse.

Also, you never want to admit but it’s a social comparison with siblings. Social comparisons and the family environment are important antecedents of self-esteem (Szivos, S. E.,1991). I’m the eldest out of four and I do notice my mother social compare my siblings and I. The two youngest jumps to job-to-job and there self-esteem and personal relationships needs repair. I see it affects our relationship as a whole.

Mindsets

Mindsets is how you view your abilities the right mindset can increase your performance and the wrong can damage your performance. Mindsets are in two parts growth and fixed (Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. &